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Desertification Has Effected Half of Mongolia's Pasture Land

Thursday, 11 May 2006

Ulaanbaatar, /MONTSAME/. The livestock pasture management of Mongolia is required to be improved. At present, 44.5 percent out of the total pastures has been effected by desertification. By the year 2015, 75 percent out of the pastures is likely to become desert if such a situation continues. According to the survey by the Mongolian Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the number of total livestock of Mongolia was 9.6 million heads in 1919 and increased three times by 2005 reaching 30.4 million heads. In 1919, the pastures volume was 130 million hectares,now reduced to 113 million hectares.

Comments (2)

1 MEP and CPESC
Written by Guest, on 2006-05-12 12:49:27, IP: 202.170.64.225
Mongolian Government might consider team working with Chinese Government to resolve the current desertification issue. Since the Mongolian Highland is upwind to China’s mainland, the dust/sand storms caused by the desertification will dramatically impact downwind neighboring countries. Clearly, environmental protection has no national boundaries. China has tremendous experience and researches/resources in dealing with the on-going desertification problems.

Moreover, it is extremely important to limit/confine the introduction of invasive non-native vegetation during the Pasture Land Restoration efforts. The invasive non-native vegetation may help the rapid revegetation of the pasture in short-term; however, it is most likely to have the long-term negative consequences pertaining to biodiversity, ecosystem stability, socioeconomic security, as well as human health and safety.

After all, every country on earth should help to resolve the Mongolian desertification problems; because environmental protection and sustainable development are the common interests of the entire international communities.

~TAO

2 Livestock and Pasture Management
Written by Guest, on 2006-05-12 16:47:20, IP: 128.163.163.35
Think about this: If desertification was as bad as they say it is, then how could livestock numbers have recovered from 21 million back up to 30 million in such a short time. This is assuming that livestock derive their energy requirements from forage. If this is true than herders would experience diminishing marginal returns from overexploiting the grasslands -- LOWERING the number of animals - if herders did not lower the number, then animals would die from starvation due to lack of forage. The problems are located near settlements and where goats are predominant. Estimates of 'degradation' (that is irreversible pasture damage) are around 7% or less. Estimates of desertification range from 15% by some to 95% by others. The last thing Mongolia needs to do is follow PRC policies which have led to increasing degradation. Additionally, what does desert mean - a third of the country is already desert, more if you count desert-steppe! Lastly, recent reports suggest that the Sahel, south of the Sahara is greening in areas once thought to be suffering from overgrazing -- but it was really a long thirty year downward trend in rainfall. This desertification claim in Mongolia is simply a way for the government to get funding from international donors. If desertification is occuring it has less to do with herder activity and more to do with gradual warming, changes in rainfall patterns,and wind patterns.

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